Service pays tribute to Canadian war heroes at RAF Digby
A SPECIAL event to pay tribute to Canadian heroes who served in the Second World War has been held at RAF Digby.
The Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire partnership, local dignitaries and representatives from the Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force took part in a unique commemorative service to mark the invaluable support Lincolnshire received from the Canadian Air Force on National Canada Day.
The event drew some special visitors from both sides of the Atlantic.
Among those was Dorothy Turner, one of three surviving plotters who worked at RAF Digby in the operations room, now preserved as a museum, through the latter half of the Battle of Britain.
Now a visitor attraction, it rekindled Dorothy's memories of the long nights and tragic incidents with the aircrew that flew from the fighter base defending the county's skies against enemy aircraft.
A 77-year-old man, Bruce Petersen, also made the long trip from Canada with his 41-year-old son Tom to see the war grave of his pilot uncle, Wing Commander Norman Petersen, laid to rest among the many others in Scopwick cemetery. Tom has spent 20 years researching his family history.
They met a Lincolnshire man, Gerald Carter, who as a young boy witnessed the crash of the Beaufighter aircraft near Metheringham as it returned from a mission.
The young lad tried to rescue the pilot and it was the first time they met.
After the official ceremony at RAF Digby, which included a flypast by a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire, the family of the pilot were among the official party laying wreaths at Scopwick ceremony.
This included the Station Commander of RAF Digby Group Captain Ross Bailey laying the first wreath for the RAF and the family laid theirs on the headstone of Wing Commander Petersen – commanding officer of 409 Squadron.
He was, at the time, the youngest Canadian officer to command a squadron with the Candian Air Force and his funeral was the largest attended at Digby during the war.
The event is one of a series planned by Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire to commemorate the role of Fighter Command in the county.
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Weather for Sleaford
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
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